- Yandex's tracking tool found in 16 of the most popular free VPNs in Russia
- Active connections to Russian servers were detected immediately upon app launch
- Users have "no way" to disable tracking in the VPN client settings
UPDATE (April 13): Following publication, Planet VPN provided the following comment: "Planet VPN is a Romanian company incorporated and headquartered in Romania. Further, under Romanian law, Planet VPN should not hold or store personal data that is not strictly necessary for the functioning of its Services, and Planet VPN has obtained a legal opinion from one of the leading Romanian law firms confirming its position in this regard. Planet VPN use Yango Ads, an international advertising service operated by Air Smart Advertising Solutions FZ-LLC (Dubai, UAE), forming part of the international Yandex ecosystem. Planet VPN has no ties, connections, affiliation, cooperation, or compliance agreements with the Russian Federation, the Russian government, Roskomnadzor, or any Russian state authority. Planet VPN does not own or operate any physical infrastructure in the Russian Federation. The privacy and protection of our users' data are among Planet VPN's highest priorities and core principles."
